Unit 14, Idaho

The unit spans dramatically from roughly 1,970 feet elevation at the Salmon River canyon bottom near Riggins up to 8,940 feet at Buffalo Hump in the Gospel Hump Wilderness. The Salmon River Canyon along the western boundary is steep, broken, and mostly open. Moving east and north, the National Forest land is characterized by broad, forested ridge systems separated by deep, steep-sided canyons. The northwest corner around the Salmon and its tributaries features open, dissected canyon terrain, while the southeastern Gospel Hump Wilderness area exhibits rugged, glacially scoured ridges and alpine terrain. Private land (primarily ranching) is concentrated in the flatter valley bottoms and lower slopes in the west and northwest portions of the unit.

The primary public land manager is Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest (59.27% USFS), with 33.29% private land, 3.9% State of Idaho, and 2.99% BLM. The Gospel Hump Wilderness occupies approximately 27,097 acres (7.38% of the unit) and prohibits motorized vehicles. U.S. Highway 95 forms part of the western boundary running through the Salmon River canyon between Riggins and White Bird. State Highway 13 along with the Grangeville-Salmon River Road (Forest Service Road 221) bisects the northern boundary near Grangeville. Key forest road access includes: Slate Creek Road (Road 354 off US 95), which runs 18.3 miles east to FR 221 past the Slate Creek Ranger Station, providing access to Hurley Creek, Slide Creek, and North Business Creek drainages; Forest Road 441 (Nut Basin Road) off US 95 north of Riggins leading to Waterspout Creek; Forest Roads 243 and 398 along the North Fork of Slate Creek off the Grangeville-Salmon Road; and Mill Creek Road off Highway 14 along the South Fork of the Clearwater River branching south into the forest. Gospel Hump Wilderness access is via Salmon River Road #1618 (22 miles from Riggins to the Wind River Pack Bridge) or via FR 354 and Moore's Gospel Road (FR 444) to Moore's Station. Some portions of the unit west of US 95 (Hunt Area 14-1) are approximately 92% private land with very limited public access.

The unit's 69% forested cover reflects a gradient from low-elevation canyon grasslands and shrubsteppe along the Salmon River breaks up through ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forest on mid-elevation slopes, transitioning to lodgepole pine and subalpine fir at higher elevations in the Gospel Hump Wilderness. Rangeland covers approximately 19% of the unit (primarily the canyon breaks and lower private lands), and dryland agriculture accounts for about 12% in the agricultural valleys around Grangeville. The northern Gospel Hump zone is moist and heavily forested, while the southern reaches are drier and more sparsely vegetated, divided by the glaciated main ridge.

Elk are the featured big game species; Unit 14 is consistently described as the stronghold of the Elk City Elk Zone (Units 14, 15, 16), with a growing population supporting the majority of the zone's elk, harvest, and activity. Both mule deer and white-tailed deer are present; CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) was first detected in Idaho in fall 2021 in Unit 14 in mule deer, white-tailed deer, and elk, making it the core of the CWD Management Zone. Units 14 deer harvest is managed conservatively via controlled hunts to support population longevity within the CWD zone; antlerless harvest has been increased to reduce deer densities. Black bear are present and huntable throughout the unit's forested terrain. Mountain lion range the unit. Gray wolf are present and managed within the unit. Moose and bighorn sheep are present and subject to controlled hunts. Wild turkey, forest grouse, and chukar are present for upland hunting. The Salmon River corridor and drainages support limited waterfowl and snipe opportunity.